It's been a long day, well so really like two continuous days with two hours of sleep in between.  So I set up and planned a trip for me and some chicas to Otavalo, a small town 2 hours north of Quito famous in South America for their handmade goods and also named after the indigenous indians who strike it rich making these alpaca goods and driving around shiny 4WD cars with their old skool traditional clothes.  While I was able to snag us a reservation for a room for a night, I was winging it on transportation.  I got so far as to definitely take a bus to Quito and find a bus that travels north along the Panamerican Highway which would drop me off on the outskirts of Otavalo.  Also not getting pick pocketed was something I was trying to make happen too.

So maybe I was a little nervous the night before hoping that everything would work itself out, but it was also time for me to take my weekly malaria pill.... du du duhhhh.   My personal side effects from this thing include no sleep, psycho dreams, dizziness, and loss of equilibrium in my ears leading to not the most enjoyable experience on crowded suffocating bus rides up, down, and around cliffs.  Unfortunately these symptoms last for about 12-14 hours and the only aid, water, I can't take because there's no bathrooms on the bus so once I'm on, I'm on.  But alas these symptoms receded in the afternoon.  Ok so back to transportation.  Taking a taxi from my house to the bus stop and then taking the bus to Quito bam ok no hay problema.  Pero unfortunately I need to travel to the very northern tip of Quito where there lies an international terminal.  While my trusty guidebooks have made me a brainiac about Ecuador and the Galapagos, they lack details on Quito's bus system only telling me the international terminal I need but not how to get there.  I don't think I've mentioned how big Quito is, but you really notice this when your face is pressed against the window of the bus while you're trying to keep your balance on a rickity ride meanwhile not getting pickpocketed.  Well we ended up having to get on three different bus lines for an hour to reach this international terminal to take the bus to Otavalo, naturally getting on all the buses that are not highly recommended.  On one of these buses I had a total pickpocketer standing next me being super obvious like checking out my pockets where my backpack and hands were and constantly glancing over to see where I was looking.  I pretended to look out the window behind him but was really keeping eyes on his greasy paws.   Estoy gringita pero no estoy stupida!  Eventually the crowd cleared a little and I could push my way to a less hazard zone.  

Finally reaching Otavalo, we trekked into town to practice our haggling skills.  This famous market is called Plaza del Ponchos and is a city in itself of tents and stands.  Vendors are coming up to you all the time trying to get you to buy anything, people are pushing past you, and you feel like you're being swallowed by alpalca blankets.  Nonetheless this is a great experience and you might be surprised with what kinds of steals you can make or rather goaded into buying overpriced goods.  A little of both happens, but don't forget you're in a crowded marketplace.  Know where your money goes and that it doesn't wander off by itself.  After getting presents for the fam, I got the biggest slice of pie in my life, a slice of passion fruit pie about the size of my head.  Since I couldn't eat or drink anything that morning to make it through the buses, I easily ate the whole thing.  I ended my shopping with buying an alpaca blanket.  I think I surprised some with my haggling tricks, but I surprised myself most by not getting pickpocketed, a huge accomplishment for a gringita.

Oh and on the bus ride back, they were fancy and playing the movie Taken, typical.  

 A piece of the alpaca blanket I bought.

I think I'm going to go hike a volcano tomorrow....or visit the Equator.....